How to Look After Your Hair in Summer: Our Essential Summer Haircare Guide

Summer is wonderful for holidays, garden parties, beach days and long evenings outside. Unfortunately, sunshine, heat, humidity, seawater and swimming pools can all be rather less enjoyable for your hair.

During the warmer months, hair can become dry, faded, frizzy, tangled and more vulnerable to breakage. Blonde, coloured, highlighted, curly and chemically treated hair may be particularly susceptible.

The good news is that a few simple changes—and the right products—can help keep your hair soft, glossy and beautifully manageable throughout the summer.

Why Does Hair Need Extra Care in Summer?

Your summer routine may expose your hair to several different stresses:

• Sunlight can leave hair feeling dry and may contribute to colour fading.
• Chlorinated swimming-pool water can cause build-up and affect the appearance of blonde or coloured hair.
• Saltwater can draw moisture from the hair and leave it feeling rough or tangled.
• Heat and humidity can encourage frizz and make styles more difficult to control.
• More frequent washing can gradually remove the hair’s natural moisture.
• Heated styling on already-dry hair can increase the risk of damage and breakage.

Think of summer haircare in four stages: protect, cleanse, replenish and finish.

1. Protect Your Hair Before Going Outside

We would never deliberately spend a full day in strong sunshine without protecting our skin, yet our hair is often completely forgotten.

Before spending time outdoors, apply a protective leave-in product through the mid-lengths and ends. Wearing a hat or scarf during prolonged sun exposure can also provide valuable physical protection—particularly for coloured, highlighted or fragile hair.

Our Neal & Wolf recommendation: MIRACLE Rapid Blow-Dry Mist

Neal & Wolf MIRACLE Rapid Blow-Dry Mist is a brilliant summer multitasker. It helps add moisture, reduce frizz and static, improve shine and protect the hair during heated styling.

Apply it section by section through damp hair before blow-drying. It can also be lightly misted over dry, styled hair to refresh shine and help control flyaways.

Its travel-sized version is particularly useful for holidays, weekends away and hand luggage.

Our Olaplex recommendation: Nº.9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum

Olaplex Nº.9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum is a lightweight first step for your styling routine. Apply it to damp hair before other styling products.

It is especially helpful when summer humidity makes your hair frizzy or difficult to manage. It also provides protection from heated styling, making it an excellent choice before blow-drying, waving or straightening.

2. Wet Your Hair Before Swimming

One of the easiest summer hair tricks costs absolutely nothing.

Before entering a swimming pool or the sea, rinse your hair thoroughly with clean water. Hair behaves a little like a sponge. When it is already wet, it may absorb less heavily chlorinated or salty water.

For extra protection, smooth a small amount of leave-in conditioner through the mid-lengths and ends before swimming. Never apply so much that it creates a slick on the surface of the pool—less is more.

After swimming, rinse your hair with fresh water as soon as possible.

3. Cleanse Away Chlorine, Salt and Product Build-Up

Although gentle cleansing is important, summer can also bring an accumulation of chlorine, salt, perspiration, minerals and styling products.

Avoid aggressively shampooing your hair several times after every swim. Instead, cleanse thoroughly but gently, concentrating shampoo on the scalp and allowing the lather to pass through the lengths as you rinse.

Our Olaplex recommendation: Nº.4C Bond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo

Olaplex Nº.4C Bond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo is an excellent occasional deep cleanser, particularly for regular swimmers or anyone experiencing heavy product and mineral build-up.

It can help remove surface impurities and neutralise chlorine from swimming pools. However, it is a clarifying shampoo rather than an everyday cleanser. Speak to your Mulberry & Flitch stylist about how frequently to use it, especially if your hair has recently been coloured or chemically treated.

Follow with a conditioner or treatment to restore softness and manageability.

Our Neal & Wolf recommendation: DAILY Cleansing Shampoo and Conditioner

For regular washing, Neal & Wolf DAILY Cleansing Shampoo offers gentle cleansing while helping the hair retain moisture and shine.

Follow with Neal & Wolf DAILY Conditioner, a lightweight option that detangles and smooths without unnecessarily weighing the hair down. This makes it particularly suitable for normal or finer hair that needs conditioning but can easily become flat.

4. Give Dry Summer Hair a Weekly Treatment

Conditioner and treatment are not quite the same thing.

Your everyday conditioner helps smooth, soften and detangle the hair after shampooing. A treatment offers a more intensive boost for hair that feels dry, stressed or difficult to manage.

During periods of regular swimming, sun exposure or holiday styling, introduce a treatment once a week—or as recommended by your stylist.

Our Neal & Wolf recommendation: HARMONY Intensive Care Treatment

Neal & Wolf HARMONY Intensive Care Treatment is ideal when the hair feels dry, rough or damaged. It helps replenish and condition the hair, leaving it looking shinier and feeling more manageable.

Massage it through freshly washed, wet hair, concentrating on the mid-lengths and ends. Leave it for three to five minutes before rinsing thoroughly.

For particularly dry or damaged hair, pair it with Neal & Wolf HARMONY Intensive Care Shampoo.

Our Olaplex recommendation: Nº.3PLUS Complete Repair Treatment

Olaplex Nº.3PLUS Complete Repair Treatment is an at-home pre-shampoo treatment designed to support stronger, healthier-looking hair.

It is especially useful for hair exposed to colouring, heated styling and environmental damage. Use it consistently as part of your home routine rather than waiting until your hair already feels extremely damaged.

For everyday maintenance, combine it with Olaplex Nº.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo and Nº.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner.

5. Control Summer Frizz Without Overloading Your Hair

Humidity can make smooth hair expand and curls lose definition. The temptation is to keep adding more product, but too much can leave hair heavy, greasy or dull.

Begin with a small amount and add more only where it is needed.

For thicker, dry or frizz-prone hair: Olaplex Nº.6 Bond Smoother

Olaplex Nº.6 Bond Smoother is a leave-in styling cream that helps hydrate the hair and control frizz and flyaways.

Use a very small amount through damp mid-lengths and ends. Fine hair may need little more than a pea-sized quantity, while thicker or curlier hair may benefit from slightly more.

For lightness and shine: Olaplex Nº.7 Bonding Oil

Olaplex Nº.7 Bonding Oil is a concentrated, lightweight finishing oil that adds shine and helps protect the hair during heated styling.

Apply just a few drops to damp or dry hair. It is particularly effective on dry ends, highlighted hair and areas prone to frizz.

6. Add Moisture and Shine to Sun-Dried Ends

Hair that has spent time in the sun, sea or pool often becomes driest at the ends. This is usually the oldest and most fragile part of the hair.

Our Neal & Wolf recommendation: VELVET Nourishing Hair Oil

Neal & Wolf VELVET Nourishing Hair Oil contains argan, avocado and jojoba oils and is designed to smooth, soften and enhance shine.

Apply a small amount to clean, damp hair before styling, or use sparingly on dry hair as a finishing product. It is particularly suitable for dry, frizz-prone and colour-treated hair.

Remember: begin with less than you think you need. You can always add another drop, but removing too much hair oil is a considerably less glamorous operation.

7. Turn Down the Heat

Your hair may already be coping with strong sunshine, humidity, swimming and more frequent washing, so summer is an excellent time to reduce unnecessary heated styling.

Try these simple changes:

• Allow your hair to air-dry partially before blow-drying.
• Use the lowest effective temperature on your dryer or styling tool.
• Avoid repeatedly passing straighteners over the same section.
• Give your hair occasional heat-free days.
• Never use straighteners or curling irons on damp hair.
• Always apply an appropriate heat-protection product.

Using more heat does not necessarily create a better or longer-lasting finish. Good preparation, correct sectioning and the right products usually make a much bigger difference.

8. Be Gentle With Wet Hair

Wet hair is more vulnerable to stretching and breakage.

After swimming or washing:

• Gently squeeze away excess water rather than rubbing with a towel.
• Use a wide-tooth comb or suitable detangling brush.
• Begin detangling at the ends and gradually work upwards.
• Avoid pulling wet hair into an extremely tight ponytail or bun.
• Use soft hair ties that do not grip or snag.

A loose plait can be a practical way to keep longer hair controlled at the beach, but do not braid it so tightly that it places tension around the hairline.

Our Ideal Summer Haircare Routines

For normal or fine hair

1. Neal & Wolf DAILY Cleansing Shampoo
2. Neal & Wolf DAILY Conditioner
3. Neal & Wolf MIRACLE Rapid Blow-Dry Mist
4. A tiny amount of Olaplex Nº.7 Bonding Oil on the ends

For dry, thick or frizz-prone hair

1. Neal & Wolf HARMONY Intensive Care Shampoo
2. Neal & Wolf HARMONY Intensive Care Treatment
3. Olaplex Nº.9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum
4. Olaplex Nº.6 Bond Smoother
5. Neal & Wolf VELVET Nourishing Hair Oil as a finishing touch

For coloured, highlighted or damaged hair

1. Olaplex Nº.3PLUS Complete Repair Treatment
2. Olaplex Nº.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
3. Olaplex Nº.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner
4. Olaplex Nº.9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum
5. Olaplex Nº.7 Bonding Oil

For regular swimmers

1. Wet the hair with clean water before swimming
2. Rinse immediately afterwards
3. Use Olaplex Nº.4C Clarifying Shampoo when needed
4. Follow with Neal & Wolf HARMONY Treatment or Olaplex Nº.5 Conditioner
5. Finish with a lightweight protective serum or oil

Your Summer Hair Checklist

Before heading on holiday, pack:

• A gentle shampoo and conditioner
• A weekly treatment
• A leave-in or styling protector
• A lightweight oil for the ends
• A wide-tooth comb
• Soft, snag-free hair ties
• A hat or scarf
• Travel-sized products for days out and hand luggage

Let Mulberry & Flitch Create Your Personal Summer Hair Prescription

No two heads of hair need exactly the same routine. Fine blonde hair, thick curls, extensions, smoothing-treated hair and regularly coloured hair all have different requirements.

During your next Mulberry & Flitch appointment, ask your stylist to create a personalised summer hair prescription. We can recommend the most suitable Neal & Wolf and Olaplex products for your hair, show you how much to apply and explain the correct order in which to use them.

Beautiful summer hair is not about using dozens of products. It is about choosing a small number of products that genuinely suit your hair—and using them consistently.

Visit Mulberry & Flitch or shop our recommended summer haircare collection online.